NO ROOM FOR ERROR
In City’s shadow, top teams fight for remaining Champions League spots
LONDON of the ‘Big Six’.
United and defending champions Chelsea find themselves in a strange hinterland, both miles behind City — 11 and 14 points respectively — but otherwise enjoying broadly successful seasons.
Jose Mourinho’s United had gone 40 home games without defeat prior to last Sunday’s stormy 2-1 loss to City in the derby, while Chelsea have taken 22 points from a possible 27.
United drew a line beneath the derby defeat by beating Bournemouth 1-0 on Wednesday and defender Phil Jones says it has restored belief ahead of tomorrow’s game at West whose economy relies heavily on their oil business.
Since their arrival at the club in 2008, City have progressed hugely, winning the first division for the first time since 1968 in 2012, before going on to secure the same triumph in the 2013-14 season.
There have also been FA Cup and League Cup triumphs, while Arsenal have struggled to keep pace at the top in the Premier League.
This season, the Gunners are Bromwich Albion.
“We wanted to win the game (against City) and unfortunately it wasn’t to be, so it was important that we came out (against Bournemouth), showed a bit of fight and a bit of courage,” he told MUTV.
“We had to dig deep and grind it out, but the most important thing was to get three points and get back on track.”
Chelsea host Southampton today after bouncing back from their shock 1-0 loss at West Ham United with a one-sided 3-1 victory at Huddersfield Town.
Having ended a four-game winless run with back-to-back victories over Stoke City and Brighton and Hove Albion, Tottenham appear to have rediscovered form just as Liverpool and Arsenal’s has disappeared.
Spurs beat Brighton 2-0 on Wednesday and with Liverpool and Arsenal both drawing 0-0 – at home to West Brom and away to West Ham respectively — it lifted Mauricio Pochettino’s men up to fourth.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are without a win in two games, having been pegged back by Wayne Rooney’s late penalty in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Everton. off the pace in seventh, a huge 19 points behind the league leaders. City are even 11 points clear of second-placed Manchester United.
There has only been one team in Premier League history to go unbeaten for a whole season: Wenger’s Arsenal 13 years ago.
The north London side claimed the title with games to spare, winning 26 and drawing 12 of their 38. So far this season, City have won 16 and drawn one.
Elsewhere, there have been rumours
Arsenal, meanwhile, are yet to win a league game in December, their stalemate at West Ham following a 3-1 home defeat against Manchester United and a 1-1 draw at Southampton.
But despite their current difficulties, Arsenal trail Spurs and Liverpool by only a point and they will expect to get back on track against free-falling Newcastle United today.
“It’s not a concern. The manager and the boys have a plan, so we’re just trying to get back to winning ways,” says 20-year-old winger Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who made his league debut in mid-week.
“We’ve got our home crowd behind us (on Saturday) and I think that could be what we’re missing in terms of getting that finishing touch on a goal,” he told the Arsenal website.
High-flying Burnley sit between Liverpool and Arsenal in sixth place and were briefly as high as fourth after beating Stoke 1-0 on Tuesday — their highest position since March 1975.
Sean Dyche’s tightly drilled side have won six of their last eight league games and travel to Brighton, who are without a win in six.
Leicester have put last season’s in recent weeks that Mesut Ozil will leave for Manchester in January, to City’s bitter rivals United.
Wenger, though, was confident of keeping one of his star men at the club.
“We have never been approached by Manchester United,” he insisted. “I don’t know how that came up.
“That is something that has been created. (He’ll stay) until the end of the season, the rest is open.” Daily Mail post-title turmoil behind them under new manager Claude Puel, who has lost just once in eight league games since succeeding Craig Shakespeare.
They sit four points below Arsenal ahead of today’s home game with improving Crystal Palace, who are six games unbeaten in the league. AFP